Maps and Charts

MAPS AND CHARTS

The Maptech MapServer contains over 60,000 topographic maps, nautical charts, aeronautical charts, and aerial and satellite photographs covering the United States. Click on the links below for sample maps and explanations.

Contents of this page:
Topographic Maps Nautical Charts NavPhotos Aeronautical Charts

TOPOGRAPHIC MAPS Click on the map image in the left column to view a sample.
	1:24,000 USGS large-scale topographic maps. These maps cover a 7.5 minute x 7.5 minute area (50-70 square miles). Used for resource and engineering planning, backpacking, hunting and other recreational activities.
	1:100,000 USGS intermediate scale topographic maps. These maps cover a 30 minute x 60 minute area (1500-2200 square miles). Used in geology, planning, routing utilities and pipelines, and as a base for creating road maps.
	1:250,000 USGS small-scale topographic maps. These maps cover 4500-9000 square miles, and are used as the base map for aeronautical charts and geologic maps and regional planning.
Back to top NAUTICAL CHARTS Click on the chart image in the left column to view a sample.
	1:10,000 to 1:50,000 NOAA Harbor Charts. These charts are intended for navigation and 1:40,000 anchorage in harbors and small waterways.
	1:50,001 to 1:150,000 NOAA Coast Charts. These charts are intended for coastwise navigation inside offshore reefs and shoals, entering bays and harbors, and navigating certain inland waterways.
	1:150,001 to 1:600,000 NOAA General Charts. These charts are for use when a vessel's course is well offshore, but when its position can be fixed by landmarks, lights, buoys, and characteristic soundings.

NAVPHOTOS
Click on the chart image in the left-hand column to view a sample.

1:10,000 to 1:20,000 Scale
Aerial Photographs and Satellite Images. Maptech NavPhotos are overhead photographs produced from various governmental and private sources. NavPhotos are intended for use as aids to navigation and for general mapping purposes. They are most useful when used together with a current map or nautical chart. NavPhotos have been orthorectified- to the maximum extent possible, aerial camera lens distortions and Topographic distortions have been removed from the images. Because of orthorectification, NavPhotos may be accurately referenced to maps and charts of the same horizontal datum and projection. NavPhotos are either black-and-white or color images. The MapServer provides NavPhotos for most popular US east coast and west coast boating areas.

AERONAUTICAL CHARTS
Click on the chart image in the left-hand column to view a sample.

1:50,000 to 1:125,000 Scale
NOAA Helicopter Route Charts. Current aeronautical information for use by helicopter pilots navigating in areas with high concentrations of helicopter activity. These charts include helicopter routes, four classes of heliports with associated frequency and lighting capabilities, NAVAIDS, and obstructions. In addition, pictorial symbols, roads, and easily identified geographic features are portrayed. These charts are updated as requested by the Federal Aviation Administration. The MapServer provides access to all NOAA helicopter route charts available for the US.

1:250,000 Scale
NOAA Terminal Area Charts. "TAC" charts depict Class B airspace. The information found on these charts, while similar to that found on Sectional Charts, is shown in much greater detail, because of the larger scale. These charts are designed for use when operating from airfields within or near Class B airspace or Class C airspace. The MapServer provides access to all NOAA TAC charts available for the US.

1:500,000 Scale
NOAA Sectional Area Charts. "SAC" charts are designed for visual navigation of slow- to medium-speed aircraft. They include topographic relief and a judicious selection of visual checkpoints used for flight under visual flight rules. These checkpoints include populated places, drainage patterns, roads, railroads, and other distinctive landmarks. The aeronautical information on SAC charts includes visual and radio aids to navigation, airports, controlled airspace, restricted areas, obstructions, and related data. The MapServer provides access to all NOAA SAC charts available for the US.

1:1,000,000 Scale
NOAA Wide Area Charts. "WAC" charts cover land areas at a standard size and scale for navigation by moderate- speed aircraft and aircraft operating at high altitudes. Their topographic information includes city tints, principal roads, railroads, distinctive landmarks, drainage patterns and relief. The aeronautical information includes visual and radio aids to navigation, airports, airways, restricted areas, obstructions and other pertinent data. Because of their smaller (less detailed) scale, these charts do not show as much information as appears on the Sectional and Terminal Area Charts. (For example, Class D and Class E airspace, and the limits of controlled airspace, are not shown.) Since some such information is omitted, World Aeronautical Charts are not recommended for exclusive use by pilots of low-speed, low-altitude aircraft. These charts are revised and updated annually, except for a few in Alaska, Mexico and the Caribbean, which are revised biennially.

Related pages:
More About Scale
More About Zoom

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